Celebrity and business mogul Kim Kardashian West discussed her recent autoimmune diagnosis on an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. During the episode, Kardashian West visits a doctor with symptoms including pain, swelling and stiffness in her joints. She already has an autoimmune condition called psoriasis that causes red, flaky and scaly patches to appear on her skin, which she had developed at age 25 after catching a cold. Now, at age 38, she was informed that her psoriasis has morphed into psoriatic arthritis.

Kardashian West said that her symptoms, including joint pain in her hands, got so bad that she was unable to even pick up a toothbrush. An initial blood test she took came back as positive for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, but it was later shown to be a false positive after a review of her symptoms and getting an ultrasound of her hands.

Despite the harrowing diagnosis, Kardashian West is maintaining a positive attitude, saying “It’s still painful and scary, but I was happy to have a diagnosis. No matter what autoimmune condition I had, I was going to get through it, and they are all manageable with proper care.”

The star also bonded with fellow beauty mogul and fashion model Winnie Harlow, who has an autoimmune condition called vitiligo. As she revealed during a recent interview with Jimmy Fallon, Kardashian West spoke to Harlow for over an hour to get her ‘opinion and advice’ on her autoimmune diagnosis.

J.K. Rowling, renowned author of the Harry Potter book series, has made a generous donation to fund Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research in the U.K.

Her donation, in the amount of 15.3 Million British Pounds (equivalent to $18.8 Million USD), will be used to construct a new facility for the Anne Rowling Clinic at the University of Edinburgh, which is dedicated to MS research.

The Anne Rowling Clinic was established at the Scotland-based university in 2010, when J.K. Rowling had made another generous donation to fund MS research. The clinic was named after her mother, who suffered from MS and passed away due to complications from the disease at the young age of 45.

Rowling has said that she is immensely proud of the work that the clinic has accomplished, and that they are providing “practical, on the ground support and care for people with MS.” The University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Peter Mathieson, also commented, “We are immensely honored that J. K. Rowling has chosen to continue her support for the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic. This inspiring donation will fund a whole new generation of researchers who are focused on discovering and delivering better treatments and therapies for patients.”

To learn more about the Anne Rowling Clinic and to view a video of their important work, click here.

Robert Given was a 71-year-old Accountant who ran his own CPA firm and was heavily involved in his local community. Although he didn’t have any prior history of autoimmune disease, he suddenly found himself impacted by a severe autoimmune condition.

While dining out with friends, Given suddenly slumped over, had a seizure, and urinated on himself. Restaurant patrons helped him to lay on the floor and called an ambulance. By the time the ambulance arrived, he had regained consciousness but was confused, refusing to step into the ambulance until his wife told him to.

After being evaluated by a number of physicians, including an internist and a neurologist, the medical professionals made several interesting discoveries. Given had had a sudden drop in blood pressure that was uncharacteristic for someone with well-controlled high blood pressure like himself. His wife also reported that he was losing his balance, had difficulty sleeping and sometimes had slurred speech. He was also highly talkative, to the point that it appeared to be logorrhea – a constant need to talk, even if the speech is often incoherent and repetitive.

Given had a second seizure, and was once again transported to the hospital. After this second episode, his doctor pondered what condition could possibly cause a sudden onset of both neurological and psychiatric symptoms. He hypothesized that his patient might have either Multiple Sclerosis (MS), or some type of heavy metal toxicity and ordered a round of tests to see if this was the case.

The tests came back negative for MS and heavy metals, and his medical team thought that they had to go back to the drawing board. Suddenly, however, his internist Dr. Hersch realized that he had seen a similar case several years prior; the patient had died, but his test results had revealed that he had autoimmune encephalitis (AE), a group of conditions in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the brain.

Dr. Hersch ordered a new round a tests that confirmed that Robert Given did indeed have a type of autoimmune encephalitis caused by a rogue antibody called CASPR2. Symptoms included fluctuations in blood pressure and heart rate, loss of balance, insomnia, and personality changes, and the majority of patients were men over the age of 65- just like Given!

Given has been receiving treatment for his condition at the Mayo Clinic for the last three years. Due to the difficult nature of this disease, his recovery is slow, but he is relieved to have been diagnosed in time to receive life-saving medication.

The Autoimmune Encephalitis Alliance says that while Given is lucky to have received a diagnosis, their aim is to raise awareness so that others with AE do not have to rely on luck to determine the outcome of the disease.

To read the original story by Dr. Lisa Sanders from the New York Times, click here. Also, check out this trailer for Brain on Fire, a movie based on a real-life story of a woman with AE.

Dr. Dale Lee is the Director of the Celiac Disease Program at Seattle Children’s Hospital

Youth Take On Celiac Disease Through Outreach Program

Last month was Celiac Disease Awareness Month. While Celiac is one of the most common autoimmune diseases, experts at the Seattle Children’s Hospital estimate that for every diagnosis, eight cases are overlooked.

As a result, the hospital has put together an outreach program that allows youth with Celiac disease the opportunity to raise awareness, organize support groups, and mentor other youth with the disease.

There are currently 11 youth members on the Celiac Youth Leadership Council (CYLC), and one of their current initiatives is running a gluten-free food drive for a local food bank.

Asaya Bullock (left) pictured here with his sister, is in grave need of a bone marrow match

7-year-old with Rare Autoimmune Disease Needs Life-saving Bone Marrow

Asaya Bullock, a 7-year-old boy from New York, is searching for a donor willing to donate matching bone marrow.

Asaya was born with a rare, life-threatening autoimmune disease called IPEX syndrome. Symptoms include joint pain, body aches, memory loss, fatigue and stomach problems. Doctors said he had two years to live, but, miraculously, he is still alive seven years later.

A bone marrow transplant would greatly help Asaya’s condition; however, since he is of mixed ancestry (part African part Caribbean), finding a matching donor is proving to be a challenge. According to Be the Match, an organization that operates the world’s largest bone marrow registry, the more genetically diverse an individual is, the more difficult it is to find a matching donor.

To learn more about Asaya’s story and how you can join the Be the Match registry, click here.

Australian Woman Describes Her Journey with Multiple Sclerosis

Monique Bolland, 36, from Australia, shares her story living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Bolland was first diagnosed with this incurable autoimmune disease when she was just 22. At the time, she didn’t quite comprehend the severity of her diagnosis.

She says that she first realized how bad her MS symptoms were when she was cutting bread and accidentally cut her hand, but didn’t even notice as a result of the nerve damage and numbness caused by the disease.

Bolland says that living a healthy lifestyle is imperative to managing her MS symptoms. This includes consuming a diet rich in vitamins D, B12 and omega-3 fatty acids, reducing stress and inflammation, and staying active. She also gets monthly injections of Tysabri, an immunosuppressive drug. In addition, she launched a nutrition supplement and health product line called Nuzest with her father, which supports MS research.

Actress Nicole Beharie Exits Show due to Autoimmune Disease

Nicole Beharie, famed actress on Fox’s hit show, Sleepy Hollow, confessed to fans on Instagram that she left the show abruptly as a result of an autoimmune disease she has been keeping secret for the last five years.

Although Beharie didn’t reveal the exact autoimmune condition she has, she states that it caused her to experience skin rashes and fluctuations in her weight. As a result, her character on the show, FBI agent Abby Mills, was killed off in the season 3 finale, allowing her to take a much-needed break for her health.

Beharie says setting boundaries and limitations, as well as changing her diet, were key to improving her physical and mental state.

Travis Frederick missed an entire NFL football season as a result of his autoimmune disease

Dallas Cowboys Frontman Tackles Autoimmune Condition and Injuries

Travis Frederick, the Dallas Cowboys’ all-star center, revealed that he suffers from an autoimmune condition called Guillain-Barre syndrome. This caused him to miss playing an entire NFL football season, while a backup played in his place. He also revealed he had two surgeries during this time.

Frederick is now expected to return to the starting lineup this upcoming season. However, since he is still experiencing lingering effects of Guillain-Barre, he is being brought back on to the field slowly.